Spread God's Word Like Seeds

 Luke 8:11-15
“This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop."

Zinnias brighten any day.

My daughter and I sat on her porch and observed the fading zinnias. A few pink, orange, and yellow flowers hung on, as petals fell away and left seed heads. While we chatted, she popped one of the heads off the stem and rubbed the nubs between her fingers. Before long, her hand filled with little gray, spear shaped seeds. For about twenty minutes, we harvested seeds from the dried heads. Now she has a bag full to spread in her garden next year. I'm excited to see if they germinate, grow, and produce a beautiful rainbow.

In Luke 8, Jesus shared the parable of the farmer who planted seeds. Some fell on a path where they were trampled, some on rocky ground where the roots didn't grow, some among thorns which choked them out, and others on good fertile soil. I've planted zinnia seeds in my flower bed, and they didn't produce one seedling. I don't know if the birds ate the seeds, or they didn't germinate and root. I plan to try again next year. My daughter has good soil to plant her zinnias. They tend to grow taller than they are supposed to.

Jesus wants His followers to continue to spread the seed of His word and encourage people to get to know Him. He wants me to share his truths, regardless of where the seeds fall. Rather than be discouraged by poor soil, I want to continue to spread the good news about Jesus and pray hearts are prepared to hear from Him.

He loves every person and wants a relationship with all of his sheep. As the farmer continued to sow the seed, so will I.

Prepare your heart like the good soil and persevere to grow an abundant crop.

Joy is...

Psalm 65:8
The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders;
where morning dawns, where evening fades,
 you call forth songs of joy.

Joy is not necessarily the absence of suffering; it is the presence of God. -Sam Storms

With autumn tumbling toward us, I cut down some of the flowers in my little garden. I've enjoyed the black-eyed Susans since early July, but they were looking pretty ragged. Even though I hated to trim them down, I knew it was time. Funny thing is, when I cut away the battered stems, I exposed another flower. The gorgeous pink blooms of my zinnias waved their lovely heads. Now when I look out my front door, the pink catches my eye, and I appreciate the change.

A flower garden varies throughout the season. This year due to a late frost, my little garden didn't fare as well as usual. Yet, the daffodils, tulips, blazing star, columbines, lavender, black-eyed Susans, and zinnias bloomed their joyous blossoms despite the set-back.

Life shifts, change is inevitable, sometimes with change comes stress and suffering. With all the craziness in the world today, it's difficult to hold on to joy. I like what Sam Storms said about joy being the presence of God amidst the suffering. God doesn't move away from us. If anything, we move away from him. Yet in the midst of some of the most difficult things we experience, He offers joy and hope.

As I attempt to navigate life, I cling to the hope I have in Jesus. He fills my heart with joy, even as I struggle, because He stands beside me and wraps me in a God-hug. He fills my heart with joy through my husband, family, and friends. He fills my heart with joy through His Word. The Bible speaks of joy, a lot. This little three letter word carries a great importance in the lives of believers. Think of joy as a life preserver. Regardless of the circumstances, I can keep my head above water and float with joy and hope in my heart.

My wonder deepens when I understand joy comes from God.

He's in the midst of suffering, reach out to Him and seek His joy.

James 1:2-3
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 

Friends in the Garden

I never know who I'll see in my garden.

As I watered my flowers and poked around, 

I almost missed a brown mantis as it climbed the zinnia leaves. 

Tiny foot by tiny foot.

A bee buzzed the virginiana Bouquet Rose and searched for sweet pollen.

Wing beat by wing beat.

I love meeting creatures who enjoy my flowers as much as I do.

Laugh with the Flowers

I love this time of year because my flowers are laughing with color.

God created so much beauty for us to enjoy. 

When I stop and admire the Black-eyed Susans, zinnias, and lavender, 

I find balance to the stresses of daily life. 

I smile and sometimes even laugh.

Their glory reminds me to acknowledge the one who created them.

Praise God for his amazing creation!

Flower Friday: Zinnia

Zinnias bring me joy. 

I fell in love with the colorful heads that sway in the breeze, when I was a child. 

These jewels grace my flower garden. Their bright shades of beauty speak summer!